Psychology is the science of behavior, both in humans and nonhuman animals. The subject is very broad, with many sub-fields. Psychologists can work in many different research areas, and pursue a variety of careers.
Here is a look at some of the sub-fields in psychology:
Clinical psychologists
Assess and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.
Cognitive and perceptual psychologists
Study human perception, thinking and memory.
Counseling psychologists
Provide counseling services to individuals, groups and organizations (schools, hospitals) to help people cope with problems.
Developmental psychologists
Study psychological development at various life stages.
Educational psychologists
Study how teaching and learning take place.
Engineering psychologists
Study how people work best with machines.
Experimental psychologists
Gather data on how humans and animals respond to their environment through research that involves manipulating variables in a laboratory setting.
Forensic psychologists
Apply psychological principles to legal issues.
Health psychologists
Examine how various factors affect health and illness, as well as effective ways to control pain or change habits.
Industrial/organizational psychologists
Apply psychological research and principles to the workplace to improve productivity and quality of work life.
Neuropsychologists
Explore relationships between brain systems and behavior, including issues of memory, brain injuries, diseases and brain function.
School psychologists
Work with schools to counsel students and consult with parents and staff.
Sport psychologists
Work with athletes on issues of anxiety, fear of failure, focus, motivation, and competition.